The Buffy Comic Project: "The Blood of Carthage" (Part 1)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer # 21

Dark Horse (Volume 1, 1998-2003)

Creators: Christopher Golden (writer), Cliff Richards (penciller), Joe Pimentel (inker)

Setting: Season Four

T.V. Character Appearances: Buffy, Willow, Xander, Sheila Rosenberg (flashback), Giles, Willy the Snitch,

Major Original Characters: Felicia (old co-worker), Joe Burgess (bully), Tergazzi (demon informant), Brad Caulfield (demon summoner), Xerxes the Blind (demon?)

Summary: While Buffy, Willow, and Xander picnic out at the quarry, they run into Felicia, an old co-worker of Buffy's from the Popsicle Parlor, and Joe Burgess, Felicia's boyfriend. Later that night, the Scoobies come upon Joe's car wrecked on the highway--an injured Joe claims that "Mad Jack" was responsible. Willow and Xander explain to Buffy that Mad Jack is an old Sunnydale boogeyman legend. Buffy and Giles start researching Mad Jack, only to be interrupted by the demon snitch Tergazzi; he leads them to Willy's, where they discover that all the demons in the place have been massacred, and that only the human Brad Caulfield is still alive. Buffy decides to explore an ancient stone structure near the quarry, and encounters a demon that she quickly kills. Although Buffy thinks she has destroyed Mad Jack, she soon discovers that she was wrong, as Brad Caulfield turns up dead soon thereafter. Unbeknownst to Buffy, the demon she slew was a mysterious guardian, and now Xerxes the Blind is summoning his master to Sunnydale.

Review: Now we're cooking with gas. New writer Christopher Golden has a good understanding of how to craft Buffy stories and a great understanding of each character's "voice." Bringing in some old characters originally introduced in the comic, like Brad Caulfield, and referencing details like the Popsicle Parlor add to the idea that the comics have some sort of continuity, at least with each other instead of being a disposable series of one-shots where everything starts over each issue. The twist with Buffy killing a demon that was actually protecting Sunnydale worked well, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. Perhaps my favorite part of the issue was a series of brief flashbacks showing Willow and Xander as pre-teens; very sweet.

Notes

* Twice in the book speech bubbles are attributed incorrectly. First, Willow and Buffy are mixed-up in the first panel on page five, and then Buffy gets Willow's dialogue in the second panel on page thirteen.

* Above right are young Xander and young Willow, drawn almost manga-style

*  This issue was released with two speciality covers by Dynamic Forces:  a "Gold Foil Edition" and a "Red Foil Edition." The artwork is much cooler than on the standard art cover, and I'll have to add these to my collection someday . . .

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